This dish takes its inspiration from India and South East Asia. Very flexible in that you can add all sorts of ingredients to the mix.
INGREDIENTS:
1 bunch mei quin choy, leafy greens removed and reserved ½ brown onion, cut through the stem and peeled 8-10 ounces (around ½ package) extra firm tofu, cut into ½-inch cubes 4 1/8th-inch slices of peeled ginger 2 tablespoons garam masala (use a “sweet” one that is mild) 1 can of coconut milk 1 tablespoon sugar, or to taste (Depending on the coconut milk you use and your taste, you may use very little or none at all) Salt and pepper to taste Grapeseed oil as needed (Any neutral flavored oil) 1 lime, quartered
METHOD:
Stack the leaves and roll into a cylinder, then slice into ¼ inch shreds.
Cut the root from the onion and slice it at an angle into ¼ inch slices, following the curve of the rounded surface, from top to bottom. (This is called Lyonnaise cut)
Cut the mei quin stalks loose from the head by cutting off the base of the stem. Cut the stalks lengthwise into ½ inch batons.
Heat a 2½ quart 8 to 10 inch sauté or chefs pan over medium heat. Film the bottom of the pan with oil. When hot, add 2 ginger slices and cook until fragrant.
When the oil is seasoned, add the mei quin stalks and sauté just long enough for them to pick up a little color and brown a little on the edges. Transfer to a platter.
Add a little oil if the pan is dry, and add the onions when the oil is hot. Sauté until the onions soften and are starting to brown a little.
Move the onions to the side of the pan and add more oil-around 2 tablespoons. Add the garam masala powder to the oil and cook, stirring gently, to combine the powder with the oil and to cook it until fragrant. Add the remaining ginger, the slowly pour in the coconut milk, stirring all the while.
Raise the heat to medium-high or high, and bring the coconut milk to a boil. Reduce the heat to a vigorous simmer and cook to reduce the liquid 50% or until it starts to thicken. Taste the sauce, then season with salt and pepper, and add as much sugar as you think it might need.
When the coconut milk has cooked down to a sauce-like consistency, add the tofu and mei quin stalks and cook to heat through. Add the greens and gently stir in so they just wilt.
Squeeze the juice from half the lime into the dish and taste. Add more juice if needed.
Serve hot with rice or noodles.
Chef’s Notes and Tips:
Feel free to play with recipe, adding things as they seem appropriate. Just remember to keep them cut to similar sizes. Peel a carrot and split it lengthwise, then cut on the bias into 1/8th inch thick slices. Sauté them with the onions. If you have a kaffir lime leaves, add one or two to the coconut milk while it cooks. You could add an inch or two of lemongrass to the sauce, or a squeeze of chili sauce or a split chili or two such as a jalapeno or serrano. You could add skinny green beans with the coconut milk or sauté mushrooms with the onions. For a really simple version of this, cut off the greens, then halve the heads of mei quin. Cook the onions until translucent, then cook the spices in the oil and add the coconut milk. When the coconut milk is hot, add the split heads of choy. Cook to reduce the sauce and finish the choy, then add the leaf shreds and serve right away. For an even easier iteration, skip the onions, make the sauce, add the halved mei quin, cook through, add the tofu to heat it, and add half a bunch of scallions sliced on the bias with the mei quin greens.
Serves: 4
Source: Chef Andrew E Cohen
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